Arch-supporting shank for shoes.



F. L. MASON & H. e. BENDIX. ARCH SUPPORTING SHANK FOR SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1914.

Patented July 20, 1915.

m m Twe F. M M k m ar 5% WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH 50-. WASHINGTON. n. c.

FRANK MASONMAND HERMAN enonen BENnIx, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

ARCH-SUPPORTING SHANK FOB SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 24, 1914. Serial No. 873,729.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK L. MAsoN and HERMAN GEORGE BENDIX, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in r the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Arch- Supporting Shank for Shoes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to shoes and particularly to ladies turn shoes or those wherein a special arch stifiener or support is necessary or desirable.

Among the objects of the invention, there.- fore, is to devise a special form of arch support for use especially in connection with ladies turn shoes and having special advantages with respect to prevention of distortion or twisting of the shoe shank.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel combination of a special form of shoe shank and cooperating flexible metal stiffener or support.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of one form of shank piece and indicating in dotted lines the position of the stiffener thereon; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the invention shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of a modification of the shank piece; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the same and indicating the stiffener in position thereon; and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the invention shown in Fig. 4.

The several parts of the device may be made of any suitable materials, and the relative sizes and proportions, as well as the general design of the mechanism, may be varied to a considerable extent without departing from the spirit of the invention hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Our preferred form of shank stiffener or arch supporting plate comprises a pair of side bars 22 connected at their ends by transverse bars 23 and 24, the heel bar 23 having a rearwardly extending tongue 25. The

spacing of the side bars. 22 provides alongitudinal, groove transverse bars. This slot is preferably wider at theheel thanthe forward end and thereby the bars of substantially uniform width and strength conform substantially to the full width of the shank piece 18 to which the stifi'ener is connected primarily or initially by clout nails 27 or the like pass ing upwardly through holes 28 in the extreme ends of the stiffener member and preferably in central longitudinal alinement therewith. The wide structure provided by the heel cross bar 23 insures the parts from relative distortion or twisting in practice, making a more comfortable and satisfactory arch support than is provided by the usual heel stifieners in common use.

At any desired distances from the shoulders or points formed by the intersection of the heel bar 23 and the side bars 22, we form a pair of holes for as many screws 30 which are intended to be driven downwardly through the shank piece and through said holes and thence through the sole into the breast portion of the heel, thereby making the connection between the shank stiffener and the other parts of the structure secure against rocking or lateraltwisting move, ment with respect to the heel.

The shank piece 18 of Fig. 1 is one upon the bottom of which is formed a rib 31 by skiving off the side portions as indicated at 32. This rib fits substantially snugly into the tapered slot 26 of the shank stiffener and not only makes a neater construction as to thickness of the shank, but further insures the stiffening or rigidifying of the connecting parts as to lateral strains. The dotted lines in Fig. 1 indicate the relative positions of the shank piece and shank stiffener. The connections in this form of the invention are substantially the same as above described.

In Figs. 3, 4: and 5 we show a slightly modified form of shank piece 18", the sides of which are reduced orcut away at 32 so as to expose the middle portions of the side bars 22 of the shank stifiener. The central rib 31 of this shank piece extends into and through the slot 26 substantially as in the previous modification. The primary advantage of this form, however, over that form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is that the purchaser Patented July so, 1915.

or slot 26 between the may plainly see the construction, especially if the slip sole or lining does not obstruct such vision.

We claim:

1. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a spring metal shank stiffener including a pair of spaced side bars, a shank piece cooperating with the stiffener and having portions of its upper face skived away leaving a longitudinal rib extending into the space between said side bars, and means securing the stiffener and shank in position.

2. The combination with a spring metal shank stiffener including a pair of spaced side bars, of a shank piece conforming in Width to the shank stiffener and including a rib extending into the space between said side bars, and securing means passing through the stiffener and the shank piece. In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK L. MASON. HERMAN GEORGE BENDIX. \Vitnesses Gno. L. BEELER, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

